1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a printer that forms print on a print-receiving tape.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known printers that form desired print on a print-receiving tape. According to the printer of this prior art, a print-receiving tape roll winds the print-receiving tape around an outer circumference part of a winding core. The print-receiving tape fed out from the print-receiving tape roll is fed by a feeding roller, and desired print is formed on the fed print-receiving tape by a printing head. The print-receiving tape of the print-receiving tape roll is consumed as print formation is thus performed, eventually reaching the tape end. According to this prior art, a zebra mark is provided on a tip end (rear end) of the print-receiving tape on the transport direction upstream side, and the tape end is detected by optically detecting this mark.
However, in this printer, if the printing head performs the print formation by heat transfer by an ink ribbon, for example, when the feeding of the print-receiving tape stops, the feeding of the ink ribbon also stops in linkage thereto, possibly decreasing the durability of the ink ribbon due to the high heat of the printing head. To avoid the above, the tip end (rear end) of the print-receiving tape on the transport direction upstream side may be configured to be removable from the winding core (designed with a structure that is not firmly fixed). In such a case, when the print-receiving tape roll reaches the tape end by consumption of the print-receiving tape, the rear end of the print receiving tape comes off the winding core, becomes a free end, and advances to the transport direction downstream side.
In the prior art, detection of the tape end in a case where the rear end becomes a free end as described above was not taken into particular consideration.